A Jealous-Invoking Ploy
by AmixMizuno
Summary: Usagi finds a way for Mamoru to finally admit his feelings for her, but it involves a scheme and a boy named Takumi to get the job done. Short story.
It was a clear sunny day when Mamoru had entered the Crown to have his daily fix of coffee that Motoki always had prepared for him. A cup of coffee and the meeting with the Odango had become a crucial part of Mamoru's routine. Before, when he first met Usagi, he had seen her as a distraction from his meticulous routine, but now, he found that he needed her to keep his sanity intact. He'd gone just three days without seeing her bright smile once before and it nearly caused his demise. He was certainly not dense enough to know that he needed to keep his relationship with her intact to ensure his own survival.

Even though Usagi may not have known better, she was one of the most important people in his life. And just like every weekday, the clock turned to 4pm and in walked Usagi, making a beeline to Mamoru's regular stool where he enjoyed his coffee. "Hey Odango, fail any tests today?"

Usagi scrunched up her nose in frustration. Mamoru couldn't help but note how adorable she looked when she did that. "No Mamoru-baka! I did NOT! As a matter of fact…" She put on a stunning smile. "…I made an A on my English test today!" Mamoru raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Wow, I'm impressed. Ami-chan rubbing off on you?" Usagi, feeling a bit smug, sat next to Mamoru on a stool and smirked. "Actually no, a new classmate of mine who was willing to help me at my own pace helped me."

Mamoru kept a look of indifference as he sipped more of his coffee. "That's good, Odango. I hope you keep it up. Lord knows you will need to pass high school at some point." Usagi rolled her eyes. "Why do you have to be such a baka?" She was in too good of a mood to let Mamoru get to her today. She had an A for the first time since she could remember and she was waiting to meet her classmate to thank him by buying him a chocolate shake. Yes. HIM. She was just friends with her new classmate, Takumi, but she knew that having a boy like him around her in front of Mamoru would finally get him to notice her. She wasn't ignorant of their ongoing feud's underlying reasons. It had been two years since they first met outside of that jewelry store when she smacked him with her exam paper. Ever since then, her feelings for him only grew, but she still had no idea how to approach him about it. Usagi knew that it was wrong to use someone as nice as Takumi as a ploy in her scheme, but a girl had only so much patience.

"A chocolate shake please Motoki!" Usagi beamed and waited for her perfect plan to come into action. "Of course, Usagi-chan. I'm really proud of you for acing that exam! When are we going to meet this wonderful friend who helped you so much?" Usagi smiled wider. Here was her chance to initiate phase one. "Oh _he_ should be by in just a few minutes." Motoki and Mamoru looked at her with wide eyes. Mamoru almost choked on his coffee. "He?!" Mamoru looked over at Usagi nearly dumbfounded. Usagi narrowed her eyes at him purposely. "Yes, Mamoru-baka. Takumi has been very sweet to me for the last week and I wanted to thank him by buying him a shake." Motoki raised his eyebrow and looked at Usagi with a teasing smile. "Oh…so is this a _date_?" Motoki handed Usagi the chocolate shake and she yanked it from his grasp. "MAYBE." She put her lips over the straw and started to enjoy her favorite treat and silently reveled in Mamoru's frozen shocked expression.

Mamoru couldn't believe that Usagi had a date. _Someone who helped her pass an exam? How serious was this? I can't let anyone touch my Odango. Wait. My Odango? Well…I am the only one who calls her that. Well I BETTER be the only one who calls her that. I can't lose her to some kid. Doesn't she realize how crucial she is to my life? I need her._ Trying to speak, Mamoru started to stutter. "I-I- he- wha- when?" Usagi held back her giggles as she looked at Mamoru with the best confused face she could muster. "What the hell is wrong with you baka? Didn't think I could nab a date? Well you're WRONG. Takumi has already told me that I have potential and am the prettiest girl in our class." Usagi smiled proudly at the Mamoru's jealous flame that ignited within his eyes.

The fates had been on Usagi's side that day when Takumi walked into the Crown with the most perfect timing ever. All three looked at the door when the chime rang. _Phase 2._ "Takumi! Over here!" Usagi waved her friend over and he smiled at Usagi. Takumi was tall and had almond brown eyes and light brown hair that had blonde highlights. He was indeed new at Usagi's school and had a little crush on Usagi. Even though Usagi was unaware of this, she immediately thought of him being helpful to Usagi in her Mamoru crisis when he started giving her more attention than she expected. "Hi Usa-chan. Wow this place is great! Sorry I'm a few minutes late. Sensei was a little crazy today." Usagi made sure to fully turn her back to Mamoru and paid full attention to Takumi. She had gone over a few tips with Rei the night before on how to ensure Mamoru's jealousy. All of Usagi's friends had been waiting for this kind of plan to emerge and Minako practically drooled at the opportunity when Takumi started taking interest in Usagi.

"That's ok Takumi-kun. This is Motoki. He's like a big brother to me. Motoki! Another one of your chocolate shakes please and it's on me. Takumi deserves a treat after dealing with my difficulties when we were studying together this week." Motoki smiled at Takumi apparently approving of Usagi's choice in a date and started to make the shake. He couldn't help but notice, though, Mamoru's almost shaking anger and jealousy that escalated when Usagi turned her back to him. _Is Mamoru jealous? I would've thought that he'd be proud of Usagi-chan in her test score and finding a nice guy to be with._

Mamoru was indeed furious. _Usa-chan?! How dare he call her that. Have they really gotten that close? I don't like the fact that she's fully turned from me. I have to do something. But, what? I can't just tell Usagi that she shouldn't date. Why shouldn't she? She's a beautiful young girl and as she's developed, I noticed more and more men taking interest in her form, but I never imagined that she'd actually care to give them the time of day. I always thought she'd just be exclusively available to me. Well that's selfish Chiba. You can't keep Odango solely to yourself especially when you have no interest in dating her. Wait. Don't I? Why wouldn't I?_

Motoki handed Takumi his shake and Usagi paid Motoki for both. "C'mon Takumi, I'm going to show you the best game here." She took Takumi's hand and led him to the Sailor V game. When Mamoru saw Usagi take Takumi's hand, he dropped the coffee mug. Thankfully it was only a quarter full so the mess that was created was minimal. "Oi, Mamoru, what's the matter with you?" Motoki quickly cleaned up the mess and looked to his friend worriedly. "She held his hand!" A distraught look came across Mamoru's face. Motoki had never seen him this way before. Never. Mamoru had always reacted to stressful situations in a calmly fashion with a cup of coffee and silence. "Mamoru, you're not…jealous…are you?" Mamoru couldn't believe how his best friend couldn't see past his antics towards the girl for the past two years. "Of course I am. Motoki she's supposed to want to be with me, not him! What am I supposed to do? She's dating now? This wasn't supposed to happen!" Mamoru ran his hands through his hair and left them at the nape of his neck as he stared at the counter with fear in his eyes.

Suddenly everything in Motoki's mind clicked. _OF COURSE! Mamoru never gave any other women any sort of attention. I'm his only best friend and the only one he talks to besides Usagi. He doesn't even care to talk to other people that annoy him or flirt with him. I should've seen it before. When they argue, they always argue about the same things, over and over, each time getting closer to one another's face, touching each other on the shoulder, chest, and arm. It had all been an underlying attraction!_ With realization in his eyes Motoki smacked his hand to his forehead. "Oh. My. God. You like Usagi!" Mamoru didn't respond. His eyes were still filled with worry and his face looked like he was going through different scenarios to solve the conundrum in front of him.

Motoki rapidly started to feel sympathy for his friend. He looked over towards Usagi and Takumi where they were happily playing the Sailor V game. "I don't know what to tell you Mamoru. She's dating someone else. I mean, the only thing I can think of for you do to is to tell her how you feel before it gets too serious. It doesn't look like they've known each other for more than a week. You and Usagi have a longer relationship than that. I think you'd take precedence." Mamoru's eyes shot to Motoki's. "I'm going to have to. I can't lose her Toki." He quickly got up from the stool, making it squeak loudly against the floor and started to walk towards the couple. "Wait! Mamoru! Not now!" Ignoring Motoki's cries, Mamoru pressed on, determined to not let this date go any farther.

"Oi, Odango." Usagi turned and gave him a frustrated look. "Baka, I'm in the middle of something." She turned away from him and gave her attentions back to Takumi. Mamoru's eyes narrowed. "I need to talk to you Odango. Now." Usagi sighed loudly and dramatically turned towards him again. _It's working!_ Usagi's face in no way reflected her inner thoughts and she successfully continued to keep her annoyed expression. "What?"

Mamoru's eyes widened. What do I say? He'd been so determined to stop the date that he didn't give a second thought as to what he'd say to her when he got over there. "I-uh, I…" Usagi grunted forcefully. "Mamoru I am here with Takumi! If you have nothing to say then leave us ALONE!" _If I force him to be angry, maybe it'll make him come right out and say it…_

"There's no way in hell I'm leaving the two of you alone!" Mamoru was angry now. _How can she not see that she can't ignore him the way she was. This wasn't going to fly._ "Oh really? And since when do you care?"

Mamoru irritatingly lifted up his hands. "I've always cared about you! You can't be with someone like him- you can't be dating him! You're supposed to – " He caught himself. Unable to go on. _How do I phrase this? What do I say?_ He looked down to an expectant Usagi waiting for him to finish. He didn't even care to look at the irrelevant figure's expression that stood behind her. He didn't matter right now. Him not losing Usagi mattered. "What, baka? I can't date? Am I not pretty enough in your oh-so-important opinion? Do I not matter enough?" Annoyed even more, Mamoru's expression formed in disgust and disbelief. "Of course you matter. You're gorgeous. You can have any guy you wanted if you just blinked in their direction. The problem is that you're supposed to…" Usagi leaned in waiting for her much needed answer. She'd been waiting for this for months. Was he finally going to admit his feelings for her? "Supposed to…?" Mamoru sighed miserably and said in a barely audible voice. "You're supposed to want to be with me, Usako."

Usagi's face dramatically changed from expectation to elation. "FINALLY!" Usagi jumped into Mamoru's arms, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him fully on the lips. "It's about time, baka!"

Mamoru stood there in both astonishment and self-gratification. "About time? What're you talking about Odango?" Usagi stepped back down onto the floor and turned to Takumi. "Thank you so much Takumi-chan!" Usagi beamed at her friend and he smiled proudly back at her. "You were right Usagi-chan, your plan worked!" He started to walk out of the Arcade and said back at her, "Thanks for the shake! See you in class!" He winked and walked out the door.

Mamoru was beyond lost. "Plan? What plan?" Usagi looked at her desperately confused baka. "Why how else am I supposed to get you to admit you have feelings for me, Mamo-chan? I had to do something!"

Mamoru realized the blonde's devious strategy and sighed with ease, shaking his head at his own foolishness. "And I'm so glad you did." He took her in his arms and held her forehead to his. Taking in a deep breath, he filled his lungs with her scent and smiled. "I love you, Mamo-chan." Usagi rubbed her nose across his and lifted her chin to touch his lips. Right before their lips embraced into their second kiss, Mamoru responded. "And I love you, Usako."

 **Author's Note:** Another one-shot while I write my next chapter for Usagi's Cinderella Story.

I hope you liked Usagi's feistiness. She may be innocent, but she knows what she wants! xD!

Let me know what you thought in the reviews! 3


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